BREAKING NEWS: It was inevitable and now it's official: Fox has greenlit production on Ice Age 3.
According to Moviehole, incoming Fox president Hutch Parker quickly approved of a new chapter in the Ice Age saga as soon as he settled into his new chair.
There aren't any plot details out yet (remember, this thing only got approved today!) but it's safe to say that Fox will move Heaven, Hell and Ragnarok to ensure that voice actors Ray Romano (Manny the Mammoth), Denis Leary (Diego the Sabretooth Tiger) and John Leguizamo (Sid the Sloth) will return to their respective roles. I'm sure their agents are trying to figure out how much cash they can demand from Fox.
This news is not surprising considering that Ice Age and Ice Age: The Meltdown were both sizable hits, making it the only animation franchise Fox possesses. Ice Age: The Meltdown made a respectable $192 million domestically but over $400 million internationally, making it the most profitable North American animated flick in overseas markets in 2006.
Judging by Fox's previous track record, we can expect an Ice Age 3 to hit theatres sometime in 2010.